Graphics Current mid-range gaming gfx card with a "quiet" fan?

OK. So I'm trying to make sense of the current market to upgrade (or replace) my system and one thing I *really* find annoying with my current rig is the amount of noise the gfx card generates when under load.

While I should be able to screw pretty much anything together, quite frankly I would rather avoid too much fiddling and just plug together components as out-of-the-box as possible.

So the question for me is, once I have found out which card I'd like (and I don't really have any specific preference in any direction), how can I find a make with a decent fan? That is, say I'm targeting a single gfx card solution for ~ 200-300 EUR, is there any way to find a ready-made card with a good heatsink+cooler solution?? It's not really a category you can filter in online shops, or is it? (I'd need a shop that sells to Austria at delivery prices that don't cost an arm+leg

cheers,
- btb

 

The ATI 6850 has just come out and there will be models with alternative coolers coming shortly, it may pay to see what arrives. This range is demonstrating very good bang for buck.

Going by past ATI models, the Sapphire Vapor-X range has always had very good (and quiet) coolers but you tend to pay a premium for them.

The GTX460 range has produced some cards with good cooling, such as the MSI N460GTX Cyclone OC or the Gainward GTX460 GLH - these two were measured by bit-tech (issue 85 October 2010) and the resulting question was "is it on?".

 

Thanks! This was the kind of advice I was hoping for.
If anyone else has some more input along the lines of Vapor-X range or MSI ... Cyclone or Gainward ... -- it would be most welcome.

cheers,
- btb

 

My 6870 is inaudible at full load

 

And that is the Sapphire reference cooler model, there are other manufacturers coming with alternative coolers on the ATI 68xx range...

Gigabyte


Sapphire (6850 shown, expect both the non-reference cooler and a Vapor-X model for both 6850 & 6870)


Asus (again, 6850 shown etc...)

 

Thats reference model mate.

 

Which, the Sapphire 6850 or the Asus 6850?

 

Asus

 

I have to choose between Style(Reference) and Quietness ? Bloody hell... The Reference model
blow the hot air outside instead those Homemade coolers which can't canalise the airflow.

 

As far as I know it could be a while before we see HD6870 cards with non-reference cooling, whereas the HD6850 has been available with non-reference cooling from day one.

So for the HD6870 you can currently choose whichever is the cheapest (or which has the prettiest sticker) as they should all be identical.

 

Yeah, the only 6870 with non-reference cooling I could find on the web from the usual suspects was the Gigabyte although I think it is a fair bet that Sapphire will continue the Vapor-X range.

 

That is what I call a card, exept for the ulgy sticker but It can be removed.


The most nice is the MSI with his white sticker

 

Mine was the Sapphire.

 

Which is why I responded "And that is the Sapphire reference cooler model" to your post about buying one.

It's funny that the Sapphire 6850 cooler is a non-reference type whereas the 6870 one is the typical reference cooler. Must be just a matter of time before the 6870 gets the same cooler I reckon.

 

That's a HD6850 too.

I sincerely doubt that. Like I wrote previously there won't be any non-reference-cooled HD6870 for the immediate future, from Sapphire or other manufacturers. It seems that's a conscious decision on AMD's part. I bet at some point we'll be seeing non-reference-cooled HD6870s as well, and a Vapor-X-cooled one by Sapphire.

 

I don't know what the best is, but I can truely say my Gainward 1gb GTX460 is a truely fantastic card for the price and I can't hear it at all!

 

my bad...

Wierd, how come? I would of thought that the manufacturers would have been very anxious to differentiate themselves quickly.

 

I have no idea why, but it may have something to do with the "Deployment Model" part as shown on the slide below. FYI: "MBA" seems to mean "Made by AMD" and I suppose that "Channel" refers to partner (custom) designs.

 

I'm screwed, its to long for my case... It was tight fit with my old 9800Gtx.

 

You could get a GTX460 instead then and overclock it. Most of them are shorter than the width of an ATX mobo. IIRC the gigabyte dual fan card and the reference card are both ment to be very quiet.

Otherwise, go for a 6850 (the sapphire card is ment to be quiet) or pray that a non-reference 6870 arrives.